19 earthsoft-preparing resume -n-covering letter

Making earth little softer

Earthsoft Foundation of GuidanceEdge-Aggressive-Reliable-Trust-Honesty-Soft-Obedient-Fun-Transparent

To succeed in getting a dream jobTo prepare Resume & Covering letter


• Preparing effective resume• Writing covering letter• Examples

Index


Preparing effective resume


Road Map• Role of the Resume• Types of Resumes• Resume Formats• Resume Sections• Additional Documentation• Miscellaneous Tips• Sample Resumes• On-line Resources


Job objective• Answers the question, “what do I want to do?”• State the type of position you are seeking or the

actual job title• Consider including how you will benefit the

employer – not what you are seeking from the employer


Balancing

Controlling the Focus

Strategies for Success

Balancing Style with Content


What is a Resume?• Resume is your belief of profile, qualifications, skills,

experiences & achievementsPurpose of the resume is

• To get you an interview• To capture the reader’s interest and attention• To convince your ability to fill-in the position

Resume always helps you • To build a career• As an opportunity to impression first time• To convey suitability & possible contribution• To project as someone who understands what is

important to the organization and can contribute to its success


• To open doors for an opportunity• To share education, experience, skills, past

performance, achievements, personality & personal details

• To convey suitability for the job & convince employer that you are worth an interview

• To get an interview to enable you to share more details about you & your expertise

• To answer possibly the employer’s question, “What can you do for us?”

• Ultimately, to get a job at a dream organisation

Purpose of resume


It’s a sample to judge• Your resume is a reflection of you!• It’s considered to be a sample to judge you!• Your resume is an example of how best clarity

you have, structured output you can translate & document you can deliver

• Your resume is your personal knowledge representation, to convey your personality

• Employer to decide in 10sec to keep it or pass it• “First impressions are lasting ones.”

A well written resume sets you apart from all other applicants.


Types of ResumesA Paper Resume• To be clean• Use at job fairs, interviews, career breakfast, etcAn Electronic Resume• Submitted online, mostly using job portals or at

employers website• A word file as an attachment for on-line

submission or sharing by emails An HTML Resume• Includes links to homepage; to be avoided


Attributes in demandEmployers always want

• highly energetic, & able to motivate team• expert in the subject matters• good in execution• ethical• well organized & following etiquette• problem solvers• growth oriented, ownership & responsibilities

takers• leaders!

Do you fit in above?


Standard Sections• Header – Name, email, mobile no.• Your career objectiveDetails in reverse chronological order• Education• Relevant courses• Seminar, Academic projects, White papers• Honors , Activities• Work experience – Employment history• Skills, duration & last used• Projects• Personal information


The Header Section• Name - first line should be your name• Mobile number including country code• Email address

• Use your UWEC email address • Don’t use [email protected]

• Larger than the largest font used in body• Avoid using decorative fonts• Don’t use black or gray shaded backgrounds• Exclude titles Mr., Mrs., Ms., …• Include following personal information at last

• Date of Birth• Marital status• Blood group• Permanent address• Current address

mailto:BIGBOY@HOT_MAIL.COM


The Objective Section• Make statement clear, concise, and to the point• Bad: “I want to get a job”• “To attain an internship in the computer industry.”• Good: “To attain an internship in the computer industry

working with database or network security.”• Avoid being overly specific to single company• “To attain a position at 3M Pharmaceutical working on”• Objectives from the perspective of organisation• “To attain a web application programming position

where knowledge of Java and the Struts framework will add value the overall development process.”

• “To be a senior professional in Service Delivery Management in a growth oriented and technology driven IT organisation”


Education & Courses• List academic & non-academic qualifications• Include a table & chronological order for • Higher schooling & college• Courses either unique or considered as elective• Include following• Duration in year (from – to), educational

degree, university/college, grade/division/% marks, main subjects

• Followed by self explaining seminar & project title, brief description, and attributes

• Allied courses with attributes - leadership, public speaking, foreign language, computer


The Honors/Activities Section• This section should convince that you are a

leader• To use self explaining title & brief description

• honors & awards bagged during college• academic or extracurricular activities• leadership positions held• membership in various organizations• relevant volunteer work• hobbies or activities


Work Experience• Align resume to capture attributes in demand• Describe appropriately relevant experience to

the job & be consistent in wording• To capture work experience in reverse

chronological order in table format, header & detailed responsibilities

• Duration from & to in month-year, name of organisation, designation / role, key responsibilities, knowledge, skills & abilities gained & utilised, contribution, accomplishments

• Good to mention url of past companies


Work Experience• Include as applicableMetrics indicating success in previous jobs.Big-name employers or impressive job titlesPromotions or increased responsibilities.

• Highlight marketable specific skills if any & if market demands

• Be sure to not leave gaps however be honest if there is a gap

• Use present tense for current job responsibilities and past tense for previous responsibilities

• Reason for leaving could be optional


Experience• Don’t need name of

supervisor, address, or contact information

• Don’t emphasize duties but outcomes• “Increased efficiency of …

by 20%”• “Improved user navigation

experience on …”• Avoid passive language

such as “Responsible for”, “Duties included”, or “Worked on” in descriptions


Skills Section - ITThis is where you emphasize your technical skills• Programming Languages• Put in order of familiarity, Can use “Exposure to :” • Platforms• Nice to list Windows and Linux• Packages

• Eclipse, Oracle 9i, MS SQL Server, Rational Rose• To list the real products having worked on• Development Methodologies• Rational Unified Process, Extreme Programming, Agile

Development• Awareness of SDLC• Expertise in Estimation methodologies


Skills Section- MechanicalThis is where you emphasize your technical skillsKnowledge of • Design & development• Production cycle or methodologies• Hydraulics/ Pneumatics• Machining & Fabrication• Welding technologies• Material science• CAD-CAM, AutoCAD, Ansys, 3-D packages• Quality norms & their acceptance levels


Detailing Accomplishments• Detail each “accomplishment”• Prepare a separate sheet answering following• Prioritize your accomplishments• What about the “accomplishment” makes it

stand out as something special?• How did you initially involve?• What did you do?• How did you develop, design, create, implement

plan, program, product, service, procedure?• What was especially enjoyable about doing it?• What are the quantifiable results & benefits of

accomplishment to you & organisation?


What Is an Accomplishment?• You accomplished or achieved

• more with the same resources• the same results with fewer resources

• Improved operations, efficiency, process orientation, reviews, accuracy, better formats & periodic reports, simply made things easier

• Brought in the quality aspects, objectives & actual achieved, and further improvements

• Resolved panic problems with little or no increase in time, energy, cost, personnel, etc

• Accomplished something for the first time.


What did you do?• Did you strategise the growth architecting a business?• Did you took initiative & resolved any problems, or

accepted any opportunities or met any challenges• Did you create or develop or design a new department,

program, procedure, plan, service, or product?• Did you identify a need & implemented a plan,

program, product, service, procedure, etc.?• Prepare original reports, papers, documents, process?• Did you participate in any technical contributions?• Did you participate in any major management

decisions or organizational changes?• Did you implement or participate in any sales and/or

profit and/or cost saving recommendations?


How did you do it?Answering following questions might help:-• Did your results save cost, generate new

business, increase sales/profits?• Did your results improve efficiency (efforts,

duration, manpower, procedures)?• Did results make an impact on the organization?• Can your results be measurable?


Caution• Avoid excessively general statements• Claiming improvements without explanation• Citing reductions in costs or increases in

efficiency without quantified measurements• Taking credit for progress without providing

some element of detail• Mentioning projects not worked for• Using terms such as excellent, world-class,

superior, etc. without independent evaluation that provided the rating

• Obvious false statements


The Projects Section• Using this section correctly can differentiate you!• Show impressive & relevant projects you have

contributed• Each project should have attributes like name,

domain, efforts, duration, generic technologies, key & latest technologies

• To write appropriate • Brief project description• Benefits achieved by clients & organisation


Interests & ReferencesPersonal Interests • List your interests, but do not generalise. Instead

simply saying 'football', say you have played for a local club for last four years & now holding a post of Treasury Officer.

References• Provide 2-4 professional references at the end• Share full name, designation & context of

knowing them, no family members• Pick individuals that think highly of you & are

familiar with your work, from recent work history• Seek consent from them before using names


References• Choose references carefully; they should

convey your ability to perform for the position• You should provide

• References when the employer asks for• The number of references as requested

• You must contact people on your reference list• Get their prior agreement to be a reference• Let them know job(s) you have applied• Provide them a copy of your resume• List on the same quality bond paper as resume• Should have the same heading information


Jonathan R. Student 1431 West 35th Street

Austin, Texas 78736-1332 512-233-2323

[email protected]

REFERENCES

Gwendelyn M. McGruntheon Librarian, Central Branch Austin Public Library 1274 West 59th Street Austin, Texas 78739 512-555-5555 [email protected] Jackson R. Williams, Ph.D. Professor School of Information The University of Texas at Austin SZB 564, MC: D7000 Austin, Texas 78712-1276 512-471-2742 [email protected] Wilber H. Proctor Principal Leander High School P.O. Box 576 Leander, Texas 78622 512-278-5555 [email protected]

Name & Address Information

Best reference for the position

2nd best reference

3rd best reference

References: Example


Optional sections• Relevant coursework• Split work experience in two (relevant

experience and other work experience)• Research experience• Community service• Volunteer experience• Extracurricular activities• Professional memberships• Publications/presentations• Licenses/certifications


Online Resume• Most large employers will upload resume to a

central database• Use appropriate keywords for better retrieval• Samples : Unix, C++, Java, hardware,

networking, trouble-shooting, testing, security, data mining, cloud, managed services, data warehouse , etc

• Don’t use italics, underlining or graphics• Use bold only for headers• Use black ink on white background


Delivery of resumeEmailing your resume• Write appropriate body in email• Attach resume as a PDF or Word documentCheck before submitting your resume • Make sure to check it thoroughly, for spelling,

grammar and clear representation of your profile• Check that the content is relevant to the reader

or business to encourage to contact you• Send resume to you, check email body &

attachment, get it printed & verify


Review Steps• One can apply limited jobs per day & month for

a portal• Search for the job online• Input right search criteria like experience,

technology, location – city or country, ECTC• Read header information & make a judgment for

suitability of job, responsibility, organisation, etc• Match education, experience, skills with

requirements, duties, skills and apply if suitable • Note contact details of recruiter for the most

suitable job, you may want to contact


Result oriented action statements• Passive: Duties included Website re-design.• Active: Worked on successful Website re-design.• Active w/Results: Created an effective association Website that

resulted in a 25% increase in hits within 2 weeks through usability testing and re-design as a member of a 3-person team.

• Passive: Responsible for cataloging.• Active: Provided cataloging function in mid-sized public library• Active w/Results: Managed a trouble-free migration of a card

catalog system to an online catalog system through a comprehensive cataloging vendor selection process

• Passive: Responsible for children’s programs.• Active: Managed successful children’s library programs.• Active w/Results: Increased participation in a children’s summer

reading program by 20% through the redesign of the program and the development of Web-based marketing


Dos• Act as a professional – Be consistent in font

type & size, get the words & punctuation correct• Be simple, use easy-to-read word & flowing

statements• Pleasant layout - to be clean, concise & well

formatted, Bulleted & bold at specifics• Be truthful and don't be afraid selling your skills • Be clear about your profile & job• Keep balance of information & presentation• Focus on strengths and accomplishments• Check & recheck to eliminate spell mistakes


Dos• Use template• Be sequential & logical, Make your points clear• Use past tense and choose right action verbs• Share your achievements & strengths• Make your resume results oriented, give proof

to back up your capability statements and what you can do

• List relevant work• Include attitude like - Team Player, Involved with

-,Contributed to –, Served on –,Volunteered to –;• Demonstrate leadership, communication,

cultural awareness


Do not• Do not use ugly format• Do not lie, manipulate, exaggerate to match • Just listing the duties, it is not impressive• Refer yourself with the third person • Images, fancy fonts, letters in upper case,

spelling mistakes, broken English. difficult buzz words

• Coloured paper or type, glazy photographs• Jargon and acronyms that other people might

not understand .eg. CRO, TB, SOX• History more than 15 years old


Do not• Avoid lists of boring sentences• Photographs – Personal• Family health information• References• Folded resume• Avoid abbreviations and acronyms• Never use pronouns as “I”, “me”, “my”, “our”• Never type (use a laser, jet printer)• No fancy fonts, binders, layouts


Tips• Limit it to two pages if you have little experience• Place name & page number on all pages• Use a good quality white colored bond paper• Use a 12 point font; keep consistency for font

type & size across• Do not fold or staple the resume• Use language & keywords aligned to job• Minimize bold lettering, italics, underlining.• Provide factual education, skills, experience &

achievements to meet job requirements


A successful resume• Shows purpose and direction• Consistent (verb tense, format, etc.)• Factual• Dynamic• Visual appeal (balanced statements, sufficient

margins, consistency, etc)• Well-organized• Reads like a good newspaper story - with

headlines and leading phrases• Zero typographical errors• Printed on quality resume paper


Jonathan R. Student 1431 West 35th Street

Austin, Texas 78736-1332 512-233-2323

[email protected] EDUCATION MS in Information Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. Expected: May, 2004 Focus on providing programming and reference services to children and young adults BA, University of Houston, Houston, Texas. 1997 Major: American History 1865 – 1945, Minor: Political Science EXPERIENCE Library Assistant, Austin Public Library, Austin, Texas. 2000 to Present Planned and conducted children’s summer reading program under supervision of Children’s

Librarian resulting in over 15,000 participants. Supported children’s reading program by developing Web-based list of resources. Provided print and online reference services to children and adults in a branch library serving

over 35,000 patrons. Communicated children’s services at the branch by developing appropriate bulletin board

presentations and displays. Taught children and adults Internet applications and World-Wide Web resources. Teaching Assistant, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, 2002-2003 The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. Updated curriculum for professor for classes in Materials for Children and in Planning and

Management of Services and Programs for Children and Young Adults by Web-based research.

Developed and maintained Web pages that supported the learning objectives of classes. History Teacher, Leander Independent School District, Leander, Texas. 1993 to 2000 Taught American history to approximately 150 sophomore and junior students Developed district-wide lesson plans to meet TAAS objectives as member of curriculum

revision team. Provided parents with materials to assist students experiencing difficulties with class work. SKILLS Operating systems: Windows 3.11 through Windows XP Software & Database: MS Office 97, 2000, & XP (Word, Excel, Access, Excel, PowerPoint), Dreamweaver, Front Page , Filemaker Pro, Dow J ones, Lexis/Nexis, Dialog, OCLC, MARC Spanish language: Read and write with little difficulty, speak Spanish with some assistance. ORGANIZATIONS Program Chairperson, Student Association of the School of Information (SASI) Member, Student Chapter, American Library Association (ALA) Member, Texas Library Association (TLA)

Resume ExamplesJonathan R. Student

1431 West 35th Street Austin, Texas 78736-1332

512-233-2323 [email protected]

EXPERIENCE Children’s Librarianship: Developed meaningful academic and reading programs for children for over six years; planned and conducting a children’s summer reading program with over 15,000 participants; provided print and online reference services to children and adults in a branch library serving over 35,000 patrons; developed bulletin board presentations and library displays about children’s library services and programs for a branch library. Web Development: Developed Web-based list of resources to support public library children’s reading program; developed and maintained Web pages that supported learning objectives for classes in Materials for Children and in Planning and Management of Services and Programs for C hildren and Young Adults. Training Program Development: Taught children and young adult library patrons the use of Internet applications and World-Wide Web resources; researched resources for curriculum updates of graduate-level classes in Materials for Children and in Planning and Management of Services and Programs for Children and Young Adults; taught American History to approximately 150 sophomore and junior students; developed district-wide lesson plans to meet TAAS objectives as member of the curriculum revision team; developed specialized programs to help high school students succeed in the classroom.

POSITIONS HELD Library Assistant, Austin Public Library, Austin, Texas 2000 to Present Teaching Assistant, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 2002-2003 History Teacher, Leander Independent School District, Leander, Texas 1993-2000

EDUCATION MS in Information Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX. Expected: December 2005 Focus on providing programming and services for children and young adults BA, University of Houston, Houston, TX. 1997 Major: American History

SKILLS Operating systems: Windows 3.11 through Windows XP Software & Database: MS Office 97, 2000, & XP (Word, Excel, Access, Excel, PowerPoint), Dreamweaver, Front Page, Filemaker Pro, Factiva, Lexis/Nexis, Dialog, OCLC, MARC Spanish language: Read and write with little difficulty, speak Spanish with some assistance.


Good Examples (1)


Writing covering letter / email


Why a covering letter/email?• Content of cover letter is same as email body• Transmit your resume to a potential employer• Stimulate interest in you and in your resume• Provide critical pieces of information:

• Why are you qualified to meet their needs?• What makes you different from others?• What you can do for the employer?• How will you meet their goals for the future?• How you will benefit the employer?• How will you add value to the organization?

• Communicate what you expect & next action


Things to Consider• Effective cover letter/email require substantial

research about the job & about the employer• Covers letter must be written for specific

position and directed to a specific person• It demonstrates written communications ability• It should have following without any spelling or

grammatical errors• Salutation• Introductory paragraph• Body of letter (1 or 2 paragraphs)• Closing paragraph & Complementary close• Name • List of enclosures


Cover Letter (1)• Why do I need to write a cover letter?

• It acts as verbal introduction to the employer• To seek attention on your relevant background

• Send it to a person, not a place• Avoid “To Whom It May Concern,”• Worst case “Dear Recruiter:”

• First sentence should tell why you are writing• “I am writing in regard to your posting listed on”• “Ms.Sarita of ED cell suggested that I …”• “As you may recall, I spoke with you briefly at..”

• Indicate why are you interested in the company


Cover Letter (2)• Opportunity to convey some basic information:

• What position you're applying for• Who you are• Why you want the job• What you have to offer

• Highlight your skills• 2-4 statements for in-depth description like education,

experience, skill, contribution, knowledge, etc• Each statement should be stand alone & clear

• Close with a request of action• Like “Kindly grant an appointment to enable me to

share more details”• Like “Please advice next step. Shall appreciate your

guidance.”


Cover Letter (3)• Must convey the above objectives in a single

page and tempt the employer with some key points from your resume

• Review company website, Find out about the company & highlight this in your cover letter

• Employers look for two points: • Someone who can do the job• Someone who wants to do the job

• Covering letter helps to convey your enthusiasm


Role you are applying for

Why you are applying

Show you are familiar with their business

Why they should read on and interview you

Sample(1)


Set the scene

What you are interested in

Relevant to current business situation

Additional 3rd party referees talking your capabilities

Sample(2)


Sample(3)


To achieve• Get the reader’s attention, but avoid catchy

phrases and gimmicks• Show your enthusiasm for the position• Stimulate the interest of the employer• Convey why you are writing - State the position

or assignment for which you are applying• Mention the resource used in finding out about

the opening or how you learned of the opening


Introductory Paragraph• Include when you’re graduating from University

and with what degree, and future career plans (only if they’re related to the position)

• Provide a transition sentence that links your education, experience, and skills to the need

• Provide a strong case for how your qualifications provide what the employer needs

• Highlight key strengths like education, skills, total experience (work experience, volunteer experience, class projects), achievements


Main paragraph• Include certain skills you want to highlight that

are mentioned in the job posting• Where and how you developed those skills

(academic background/training, work experience, personality traits)

• Achievements that relate to the field in which you are applying, without duplicating exactly what is included in your resume

• How you would make a good fit in the company based on its mission, goals, and current projects


Closing paragraph• Your resume is included which gives a more

complete view of your qualifications• You’d like to further discuss the job opportunity

or you desire an interview• Restate your interest in the position.• State what you expect next - interview.• State what you will do as follow-up & when• How you can be reached (phone number and e-

mail) to answer any questions• Thank the person for his/her time and

consideration


Print Cover letter formatYour Street AddressCity, State Zip CodeDate

Name of PersonJob TitleCompany/OrganizationStreet AddressCity, State Zip Code

Dear Mr./Dr./Ms../Mrs. XXXXXXXXXFirst paragraph:Second paragraph:Closing paragraph:

Sincerely Your Name


Printed Cover LetterJonathan R. Student

1431 West 35th Street Austin, Texas 78736-1332

512-555-5555 [email protected]

November 25, 2004 Ms. Mary M. Henrico The County of Henrico Personnel Department 4301 E. Partham Road Richmond, Virginia 23273-7032 Dear Ms. Henrico: Please find enclosed my résumé and application for the North Park Public Library Children’s Librarian I position (Number 1501-0126-0) advertised on your Website. The Children’s Librarian position provides a wonderful opportunity to positively influence the lives of children and young adults, as well as use my experience and educational background for the benefit of the library and the community. Through my experience with a public library children’s reading program and my four years experience as a classroom teacher, I have developed a keen understanding of how to produce successful children’s programs. With almost two year’s experience in delivering print and online reference services, my knowledge of reference resources will provide immediate assistance with reference and reader’s services to patrons of all ages. My coursework in collection development and in planning and managing services for children and young adults reinforced the experience I gained while working with children’s library programs. I am thoroughly computer literate and can provide training in the library’s new computer lab by teaching PC operating systems, office automation software, Internet search skills, and general Web use. I also have substantial experience in Web page development that will benefit the current objectives of providing online information about children’s activities and assisting patrons with the development of their own Web pages. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Becoming a children’s librarian at the North Park Public Library is an exciting prospect for me. I look forward to meeting you and discussing ways in which my education and experience will match the needs of the Library, now and into the future. Sincerely,

J onathan R. Student

J onathan R. Student Enclosures: Application and Résumé

Date


Salutation

Introductory Paragraph

Body of Letter

Closing Paragraph

Complimentary Close

Signature

Printed Name

Enclosures



Organize Your Career Search• Keep copies of all submissions, by organization.• For each organization, keep:

• Job announcement• Notes while researching job and organization• Copy of resume• Copy of cover letter• Copy of references

• Keep all documents in binder or file box or file folder that is readily accessible.


Use action words


Bad statements & incorrect spell• “Education: Curses in liberal arts, corses in

computer science, courses in accounting”• “Personal: Married, 1992 Sangeet”• “Proven ability to track down and correct erors.”• “Disposed of $2.5 billion assets”• “Accomplishments: Oversight of entire

department”• Cover Letter: “Thank you for your consideration.

I hope to hear from you shorty!”


On-Line Resources• www.collegerecruiter.com• www.developercareers.com• www.writinglettersandresumes.com• www.professional-resumes.com• www.1stresumes.com• www.a1resumes.net

• www.10minuteresume.com• www.crsresume.com• www.resumeservice.com

Free

Not Free

• Additional resources on resumes are available online at: Google search like Presentations, eBooks, Tips


Thank You

19 earthsoft-preparing resume -n-covering letter

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